Dark Matter

Brand new sealed 2024 RSD release.

Dark Matter is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam. It was released on April 19, 2024, through Monkeywrench Records and Republic Records.

Background and recording

Dark Matter was recorded over three weeks in 2023^[2] at Shangri-La in Malibu, California and, according to a press release, "channels the shared spirit of a group of lifelong creative confidants and brothers in one room playing as if their very lives depended on it".^[3] On November 29, 2023, drummer Matt Cameron revealed that they finished a record with assistance from Andrew Watt and that it was "mastered, mixed, ready to go" at the time.^[4] On January 5, 2024, guitarist Mike McCready described the album as "a lot heavier" than one might expect, saying that recording was less time-consuming than for their previous record Gigaton, mostly thanks to the involvement from Watt, who was said to have "kicked [their] asses".^[5] Later that month, on January 31, the band and Watt debuted Dark Matter in front of a group of fans at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California, without revealing lyrics or song titles. During the event, Eddie Vedder opined that this is their best work to date and how he could not be prouder of the band.^[6]

The album’s packaging features light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov. The album cover art was crafted using a large self-made kaleidoscope. Each letter visible on the cover was individually captured and handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect.^[7]

On February 13, Pearl Jam announced the album alongside the release of the title track as a lead single.^[8] The single was Consequence of Sound's album of the week.^[9]